This is Jack Bacheler, Extension Entomologist at NCSU with the Thursday Cotton Insect Update. Today is Thursday, June 12.

Although this much hot dry weather has been hard on crops, particularly corn, in cotton we seem to have had just enough soil moisture to push much of our acreage into the thrips-safe 5th or 6th true leaf stage. And although earlier thrips damage is plainly evident on these plants, the newest few leaves look good and have very few adult and immature thrips. This was the situation yesterday in many cotton fields in Northampton and several that we looked at in Wayne County, so we hope that this brighter scenario is more the rule than the exception. We’re even getting a few welcome reports of square initiation. So, for most part, the treat from thrips damage is either over or at least subsiding.

As of this morning, we still have not received reports of spider mites or cotton aphids, though I would certainly expect to see at least some spider mite infestations in the coming weeks. Scouts should be encouraged to be on the lookout for these pests.

We’ll keep today’s report short, as we appear to be that time period between thrips and the initiation of possible mite, cotton aphid and plant bug problems.

I’m sure we’ll have more to talk about next week. So, let’s hope that on next Thursday’s June 19 cotton insect update, we can report more frequent and plentiful rain showers.
We’ll see you then.